Jesus Behaving Badly: The Puzzling Paradoxes of the Man from Galilee

by Mark L. Strauss

Overview

Everybody likes Jesus. Don't they? We overlook that Jesus was

• Judgmental—preaching hellfire far more than the apostle Paul
• Uncompromising—telling people to hate their families
• Chauvinistic—excluding women from leadership
• Racist—insulting people from other ethnic groups
• Anti-environmental—cursing a fig tree and affirming animal sacrifice
• Angry—overturning tables and chasing moneychangers in the temple

He demanded moral perfection, told people to cut off body parts, made prophecies that haven't come true, and defied religious and political authorities. While we tend to ignore this troubling behavior, the people around Jesus didn't. Some believed him so dangerous that they found a way to have him killed. The Jesus everybody likes, says Mark Strauss, is not the Jesus found in the Gospels. He's a figure we've created in our own minds. Strauss believes that when we unpack the puzzling paradoxes of the man from Galilee, we find greater insight into his countercultural message and mission than we could ever have imagined.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780830824663
Publisher:	InterVarsity Press
Publication date:	09/25/2015
Pages:	223
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x (h) x 208.00(d)

About the Author

Mark Strauss (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary San Diego. He is the author of several books including How to Read the Bible in Changing Times and commentaries on Mark's Gospel in the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary Series and Expositors Bible Commentary. He is also associate editor for the NIV Study Bible.

Table of Contents

1. Everybody Likes Jesus
2. Revolutionary or Pacifist?
3. Angry or Loving?
4. Environmentalist or Earth Scorcher?
5. Legalist or Grace Filled?
6. Hellfire Preacher or Gentle Shepherd?
7. Antifamily or Family Friendly?
8. Racist or Inclusivist?
9. Sexist or Egalitarian?
10. Was Jesus Anti-Semitic?
11. Failed Prophet or Victorious King?
12. Decaying Corpse or Resurrected Lord?
Discussion Questions
Notes
Scripture Index

What People are Saying About This

Nijay K. Gupta

"Many people have the view that Jesus was basically a friendly and warm teacher. Those who have read the Gospels closely recognize, though, that Jesus said and did things that upset this rosy portrait. Jesus Behaving Badly engages the hard 'sayings' and 'doings' of Jesus, not by merely explaining them away, but by representing a fullness of Jesus in the three dimensions of a real historical figure and in the fourfold portrayal of the Gospels. If the aim of this book is to reckon with the whole Jesus and not a mere caricature, Strauss has accomplished this with sense and wit."

Lynn H. Cohick

"In Jesus Behaving Badly, Mark Strauss provides a clear and compelling portrait of Jesus in his own terms and historical context. Strauss skillfully guides the reader through the maze of current questions about Jesus, such as 'Was Jesus a revolutionary?' and 'Why did Jesus curse a fig tree?' Students and pastors alike will find Jesus Behaving Badly an enriching read and invaluable tool in understanding the Jesus of the Gospels."

E. Randolph Richards

"We have rehabilitated Jesus so much today that we can't imagine how anyone wouldn't admire Jesus. How could anyone hate this lovable guy enough to scream, 'Crucify him!'? Yet, a fuller reading of the Gospels reveals a tree-hating, name-calling troublemaker who often didn't play well with others. Maybe the home crowd at Nazareth wanted to stone him because he was a 'stubborn and rebellious son' (Deut 21:18-21). Yet, in a delightfully written book, Strauss treats fairly these typical objections to Jesus and guides the reader to a fuller understanding of this complex man from Galilee. Anyone wanting to understand Jesus better, whether in a classroom or Bible study, should read this book."

Michael F. Bird

"Mark Strauss provides a wonderful account of Jesus full of wit and wisdom that shows that the meek and mild Jesus is Sunday school fiction. The Jesus of the Gospels is a much more complicated character who felt compassion and anger, who preached peace and kicked over tables, who made friends with prostitutes and offended the religious establishment, who resisted family values of the day and even started a revolution in Judaism. Reading this book could be like meeting Jesus for the first time."

Editorial Reviews

"Strauss tackles these issues with honesty, humility, and occasional humor. He provides a wealth of political, cultural, and historical background information that clarifies the meaning of Jesus' words and deeds. He addresses the tough questions that arise, drawing implications for Christians today. . . . Jesus Behaving Badly offers insightful information for seekers, new Christians, and longtime believers."

Daniel Johnson

"Mark Strauss provides a wonderful account of Jesus full of wit and wisdom that shows that the meek and mild Jesus is Sunday school fiction. The Jesus of the Gospels is a much more complicated character who felt compassion and anger, who preached peace and kicked over tables, who made friends with prostitutes and offended the religious establishment, who resisted family values of the day and even started a revolution in Judaism. Reading this book could be like meeting Jesus for the first time."

Michael F. Bird

"In Jesus Behaving Badly, Mark Strauss provides a clear and compelling portrait of Jesus in his own terms and historical context. Strauss skillfully guides the reader through the maze of current questions about Jesus, such as 'Was Jesus a revolutionary?' and 'Why did Jesus curse a fig tree?' Students and pastors alike will find Jesus Behaving Badly an enriching read and invaluable tool in understanding the Jesus of the Gospels."

Lynn H. Cohick

"The author crafts chapters with an eye toward orthodoxy, posing questions first in a negative, then a positive light. His underlying agenda is made plain: 'Knowing about Jesus is one thing; knowing him is something else.' . . . In a day and time when many people are trying to get a handle on life, Jesus Behaving Badly provides a clear, thoughtful and engaging forum to begin framing a new or renewed relationship with the Word made Flesh. This book is a treasure."

Thomas W. Blair

"We have rehabilitated Jesus so much today that we can't imagine how anyone wouldn't admire Jesus. How could anyone hate this lovable guy enough to scream, 'Crucify him!'? Yet, a fuller reading of the Gospels reveals a tree-hating, name-calling troublemaker who often didn't play well with others. Maybe the home crowd at Nazareth wanted to stone him because he was a 'stubborn and rebellious son' (Deut 21:18-21). Yet, in a delightfully written book, Strauss treats fairly these typical objections to Jesus and guides the reader to a fuller understanding of this complex man from Galilee. Anyone wanting to understand Jesus better, whether in a classroom or Bible study, should read this book."

E. Randolph Richards

"Many people have the view that Jesus was basically a friendly and warm teacher. Those who have read the Gospels closely recognize, though, that Jesus said and did things that upset this rosy portrait. Jesus Behaving Badly engages the hard 'sayings' and 'doings' of Jesus, not by merely explaining them away, but by representing a fullness of Jesus in the three dimensions of a real historical figure and in the fourfold portrayal of the Gospels. If the aim of this book is to reckon with the whole Jesus and not a mere caricature, Strauss has accomplished this with sense and wit."

Nijay K. Gupta

"In Jesus Behaving Badly, Mark Strauss provides a clear and compelling portrait of Jesus in his own terms and historical context. Strauss skillfully guides the reader through the maze of current questions about Jesus, such as 'Was Jesus a revolutionary?' and 'Why did Jesus curse a fig tree?' Students and pastors alike will find Jesus Behaving Badly an enriching read and invaluable tool in understanding the Jesus of the Gospels."

--Lynn H. Cohick, Wheaton College

"Many people have the view that Jesus was basically a friendly and warm teacher. Those who have read the Gospels closely recognize, though, that Jesus said and did things that upset this rosy portrait. Jesus Behaving Badly engages the hard 'sayings' and 'doings' of Jesus, not by merely explaining them away, but by representing a fullness of Jesus in the three dimensions of a real historical figure and in the fourfold portrayal of the Gospels. If the aim of this book is to reckon with the whole Jesus and not a mere caricature, Strauss has accomplished this with sense and wit."

--Nijay K. Gupta, George Fox Evangelical Seminary

"Strauss tackles these issues with honesty, humility, and occasional humor. He provides a wealth of political, cultural, and historical background information that clarifies the meaning of Jesus' words and deeds. He addresses the tough questions that arise, drawing implications for Christians today. . . . Jesus Behaving Badly offers insightful information for seekers, new Christians, and longtime believers."

--Daniel Johnson, CBA Retailers+Resources, November 2015

"The author crafts chapters with an eye toward orthodoxy, posing questions first in a negative, then a positive light. His underlying agenda is made plain: 'Knowing about Jesus is one thing; knowing him is something else.' . . . In a day and time when many people are trying to get a handle on life, Jesus Behaving Badly provides a clear, thoughtful and engaging forum to begin framing a new or renewed relationship with the Word made Flesh. This book is a treasure."

--Thomas W. Blair, The Presbyterian Outlook, March 17, 2016

From the Publisher